Potato-planter.



v H. HAID.

POTATO PLANTER.

PPLIOATION FILED oo'r. a1, 190s.

9,1 8, 5 36. Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 M v V I aunup H. m11).4 POTATO PLANTEB..

'APPLICATION FILED 00T. 31, 1908.

'Patented Apr. 2o, v1.909.

atmwugo UNITED sriiirns herinner onirica.

HERBERT HAID, OF SALEM, OREGON.

POTATO-PLANTER.

IND. 918,536.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, HERBERT Haro, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new and useful Potato- Planter, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to potato droppers and consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of its parts, herein after shown anddescribed.

The object of the invention is to provide a dropper of the characterindicated, which embodies a potato-containing hopper and apotato-receiving hopper, between which is located a rotatingpotato-selector and transe mitter, which is adapted to operate upon thepotatoes in the containing hopper and select the same singly andtransmit the selected potatoes successively to the receiving hopper,where they are deposited in a similar mam ner, and from which they mayfall to the ground.

The potato selector and transmitting member is of peculiar constructionand is adapted to operate upon the potatoes in an effective manner andaccomplish the transmission thereof from one hopper to the other withoutinjury to the potatoes. The said member is provided at its peripheralportion with a scries of pivoted arms, each of which carries a pluralityof impaling pins. The said arms are held in fixed positions withrelation to the body portion of the said member dining the time thatthey are operating upon the potatoes in the containing` hopper, and thepins thereof' are impaling the potatoes, but tl c said arms are renderedfree to swing with relation to the body portion of the member' whenVthey are about to deliver' the potatoes to the. receiving hopper. Byreason of th fact that the potatoes are removed from the pins by comingin contact with the opposite side edges of a slot provided in thereceiving hopper and through which slot said arms may pass, it will beobserved that the potatoes Will not be mutilated or torn by the pins asthey' are Withdrawn from the same, :for the reason that the arms mayswing so that the pins may Vbefremoved from the potatoes in thedirection of the longer dimensions of the pins. That is to say, the pinsare withdrawn from the potatoes by an endwise movement,

and not by a lateral movement, which latter' movement would have atendency to tear the potatoes, or otherwise mutilate the same.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 31, 190B.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 460,516.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for transmittingrotary movement from the supporting wheels of the implement to thcrotary selector in such inanner that the said selector will be operatedin one direction only, and that a straightforward direction,notwithstanding thc fact that the implement, as an entirety, should bemoved in a backward direction. The same means for transmitting movementto the rotary selector is susceptible of manipulation wherebyv the saidselector may be caused to remain at a state of rest while the implementis moving in a forward direction.

In the accompanying drawings :#Figurc l is a top plan view of thedropper with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the dropper. Fig. 4l is asectional view of the selector and transmitter used in the dropper. Fig.5 is a sectional view of the hub of one of the supporting wheels of thedropper. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a pawl and disl; mechanism usedupon the dropper. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an arm used upon thedropper.. F ig. S is a. side view of a pin used. upon said arm.

The implement consists of the frame 1, to which is journaled the axle 2.Ground wheels 3 are loosely journaled upon the opposite ond portions ofthe axle 2. One of the wheels 3 is provided upon its hub with aconcontrically arranged plate 4. 'lhe pawl 5 is pivoted upon the plateand is provided in the vicinity of its pivoted end with an approximatelyV -shaped lug 6. The spring 7 is lixed at one end to the hub of thewheel 3, which carries the plate 4L and is provided with a free endportion which engages thc lug 6. The saidspring` 7 is under tension witha tendency to force its free end in close contact with the lug 6 of thepawl 5. By reason of the fact that the said lug 6 is substantiallyil-shaped, it is apparent that as the said lug is turned under the freeend of the spring and is swung from one position to another, thepressure of the spring will be transferred from one of the sides of thelug 6 to the other side thereof, and, by such an arrangement, the pawl 5may be held under spring` tension in two positions, the object of whichwill be hereinafter explained. The dish 8 is fixed to the axle 2, and islocated against the outer face of the plate 4. Said disk is provided inits periphery with a notch 9. The notch 9 is provided with a radiallydisposed wall or side 10, and a side 11, which llO is substantiallytangentially disposed with re'- lation to a circle struck from thecenter of the axle 2 as a center. The side 10 of the noten 9 is disposedin the saine direction in which the wheel 3 rotates when the inipleinentis moving in a forward direction, and the side 11 is disposed in theopposite direction. The free end of the pawl 5 is adapted to engage theperiphery of the disk 8 when the said pawl is swung down in its lowerposition, and when the free end of the said pawl is against theperiphery of the disk 8 and the wheel 3, upon which the said pawl isniounted, is turning in a forward direction, the said pawl will enterthe slot 9 and engage the radially disposed side 1() thereof, thus theaxle 2 will be caused to rotate with the wheel 3. lf, however, the wheel3 should turn in the ward direction, the free end of the pawl 5 willniove along the side 11 ofthe notch 9 and out of the said notch, and theaxle 2 will reinain at a state of rest. The object of this has beenheretofore alluded to, but will be incre fully explained hereinafter.

The conical containing' hopper 12 is niounted upon the fraine 1 and isprovided. at its forward side with a slot or opening which cxtends freniits reduced end to its upper edge. The lip plates 13 are attached to thehopper 12 at the edges of the said slot and diverge slightly froin eachother toward the reduced end of the hopper 12. The hood or shield 141 islocated upon the top forward portion of the hopper 12 and is providedwith an enlarged opening 15, which is located over the upper end of theslot in the forward side of the said hopper 12. The hopper 12 issuperposed upon the franie 1. The receiving hopper' 16 depends from thefrarne 1 and is Vlocated in the vicinity of the forward end thereof. Thehopper 15 is provided in its rear side with a slot 17, and is providedin its bottoni with an outlet 18.

The shaft 1Q is 'n'lxedly inounted on the fraine 1 and is located bettreen the hopper 12 and the hopper 16. A plate 20 (of peculiarconfiguration) is i'ixedly inounted upon the shaft 19 in the vicinity ofthe iniddle thereof. The sleeve nieinbors 21 are journaled for rotationupon 'the opposite end portions of the shaft 19, and one of thenienibers 21 is provided with a sprocket wheel 22. [i sprocket wheel 23is lnounted upon the axle 2 and occupies the saine vertical plane asthat in which the sprocket wheel 22 lies, and the sprocket chain 2dpasses around the sprocket Wheels 22 and 23. The disks 25 are fixed attheir centers to the inner ends of the sleeve members 21 and are locatedone upon each side of the plate 20. The edges of the disks 25 extendbeyond the edge of the plate 20, and the peripheral portions of the saiddisks 25 fare spaced apart by the sectors 25, which, in turn, are spacedfrom each other. Thus open spaces are provided at the peripheries of theVdisks 25, between the ends ofthe adjacent sectors 26.

The plate 2O is provided with an arcuate edge 27 which is concentricwith the center of the shaft 19 and which is disposed over the upperportion of the said shaft. The plate 20 is also provided with atransversely disposed straight edge v28, which, at one end, merges intothe curved edge 29, which, in turn, oins with the lower end portion ofthe arcuate edge 27.

The arins 30 are pivotally mounted between the disks 25 and the ends ofthe adjacent sectors 25. Each arni 30 is provided with an arcuate underedge 31, which is adapted to slide along the arcuate edge 27 of theplate 2O as the said arins pass over the said plate, and each arin 30 isprovided with a head portion 32 and with a shank portion 33. rlhe headportion 32 of each arni is provided with the laterally disposedshoulders 3d, which, at tiines, are adapted to engage the peripheries ofthe disks 25. The iinpaling pins are inounted upon the head portion 32of each arm 30. The iinpaling pins are so positioned and disposed uponthe arins 3G that when the arcuate edges of the arms are sliding alongthe arcuate edge 27 of theplate 20, the pointed ends of the said pinswill extent; in the direction in which the disks 25 are rotating.

The diaineter of the disks 25 is such that the upper rear portions ofthe said disks project tl'irouo'h the slot provided in the front side ofthe hopper 12, and the pins 35 carried by the arins 30 enter the saidhopper 12 at the reduced end thereof, and, as the said arins 30 nieveforwardly and downwardly, they pass through the slot 17 provided in thereceiving hopper 15. Y

lt is obvious that rotary nioveinent is transn itted to the sleevemembers 21 and the disks 25 carried thereby through the sprocket wheels22 and 23 and chain from the 2 when the said axle is rotated. Thus, asthe arnis SJand the pins S5 carried thereby successively enter thereduced end portion of the hopper 12, the said pins carried by the saidarms inipale a potato or a section thereof and carry the saine upthrough the opening' 15 in the hood 14 upon the hopper 12. D iring theinovenient of the arins 30 through the hopper 12 the arcuate edges 31 ofthe said arins slide along the arcuate edge 27 of the plate 20, and thusthe said arins are held in relatively fixed positions with relation tothe disks 25. VJhen, however, the arms 30 descend and pass between theedges ofthe slot 17 in the receiving hopper 16, the extremities of theshanks 33 of the said arms pass beyond the lower endV of the arcuateedge 27 of the plate 20, and the said arms 30 are then free to swingupon their pivotal connections with the disks 25. The slot 17 in therevided wit ceiving hopper ,16 is of sufficient width or area to permitthe arms 30 to pass therethrough, but not sufficiently wide to permitof' a potato or a potato section carried by an arm 30 and the pin 85thereof to pass through. Consequently, as the said arm passes throughthe said slot the potato carried thereby is brought at its sides againstthe edges of the slot A17, and the movement of the potato or potatosection with the disks 25 is checked, while the arm 30 continues to movewith the disks. inasmuch as the arm, at this particular point, is freeto swing upon its pivot, it will turn with relation to the disks 25, sothat the longer dimensions of the pins 35 will be substantiallytangentially disposed with relation to the peripheries of the disks 25and the pins 35 Will pull longitudinally away from the potato or potatosection. The said potato will then fall down through the hopper 16 andout through the outlet thereof to the ground.

The impllement, as described, may be proa furrow-opening plow, andfurrow-closer, if desired, or may be preceded by a separate im lementadapted to open a furrow, and fol owed by another implement adapted toclose the earth over the potatoes or potato sections, after they havebeen dropped into the furrow. lnasmuch as such furrow-openers andclosers are common ex- ]edients, they are merely referred to herein. helip plates 13, attached to the edges of the slot provided in the frontof the hopper 12 serve as braces for the material of the hopper at theslotted portion thereof, and also serve as fenders to prevent the disks25 from carrying dirt up into the hopper 12. They further serve asguides for directing the needles 35 throu h the slot of the hopper 12.

Thus it wil be seen that an implement is provided upon which containingand receiving hoppers are mounted, with a selecting and conveying memberlocated between them and arranged to operate so that the potatoes areconveyed from one hopper to the other with regularity and uniformitywhereby the planting of the crop will be facilitated and accomplished ina desirable manner to permit of future cultivation and harvesting.Having described my invention, what I i i l claim as new, and desire tosecure, by Letters Patent, isz- 1. In a drop er a containing and areceiving hopper, a se ecting and transmitting member located betweenthe said hoppers and mounted for rotation, an arm pivotally mounted uponthe said member means for holding said arm in a relatively fixedposition with relation to the member while assing through the containinghopper, sai arm being free for pivotal movement while passing throughthe receiving hopper.

2. In a drop er a containing and a receiving hopper, a se ecting andtransmitting member located between the hoppers and journaled forrotation, a fixed plate located adjacent the said member, an arm pivotedto the member, impaling pins mounted upon the arm, the plate having anarcuate edge against which the edge of the arm is adapted to slideduring a portion of its movement, whereby the arm is held in arelatively fixed position with relation to the member', said arm beingfree to swing upon its pivot when it passes beyond the arcuate edge ofthe said plate.

3. ln a dropper as described, a selecting and transmitting membercomprising a 'fixed shaft, a plate mounted. upon the shaft and having anarcuate edge portion, a disk journaled upon the shaft, means forrotating the said disk, an arm pivotally attached to the disk and havingan arcuate edge ada ted to slide along the arcuate edge of the saiplate, and impaling pins carried by the arm.

4. In a dropper as described, a selectimT and transmitting membercomprising a fixed shaft, a plate fixed to the shaft and having anarcuate edge, disks journalcd for rotation upon the shaft, means forrotating the disks, an arm pivotally mounted between the disks andhaving an arcuate edge adapted to slide along the arcuate edge of theplate, said arm having a shouldered head for engagement with the edge ofthe disk and impaling pins carried by said head.

In testimony that T claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT HAID.

Witnesses:

A. O. CoNDrr, RUTH BOLLIER.

